Faithful Christian Commitment and service
in the Middle East for almost 150 years The Nazareth Trust Healing in the Name of Jesus Since 1861
in the Middle East for almost 150 years The Nazareth Trust Healing in the Name of Jesus Since 1861
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Welcome
Welcome to you all as we begin another week, this time between the sun and showers at this changeable time of year!
We were pleased to have some of our board members attend and take part in the service this week, as well as welcoming Portia & Rose, our newest volunteers! It is wonderful to be able to share together in praise and worship, knowing God’s presence with us each day as we serve Him.
Devotion
2 Chronicles 6: 12 – 21
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. He said:
"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
"Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.' And now, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.
"But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.
May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
The devotion this week centres on having a passion and fire for God.
Here in 2 Chronicles we the culmination of a long journey for the people of Israel, through Abraham they had been blessed, led out of Egypt by Moses, ruled by judges in the Promised Land, then they requested a King, Saul, who was followed by God’s intended King, David. This King had a dream and this dream was for God to dwell with them. However, God decided that although David could do the preparation for this, it was work to be done by his son, Solomon.
God appreciated David’s dream, but Solomon had the honour of completing the temple. The temple was an amazing work – involving hundreds and thousands of workers, materials, offerings, animals and labour.
In the passage above we see that the work is now completed. The Ark is brought into its place and Solomon comes before the people, kneels, raises his hands and prays. He is anticipating more from God.
2 Chronicles 6: 40 – 42
"Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
"Now arise, O LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness. O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant."
As Solomon speaks, the people await the fire from God. They had seen this in history, in the burning bush, the pillar of fire and the fire on Mount Carmel. But with each appearance of fire there is always a cost. Moses had to leave his family and return to Egypt, the Israelites had to leave Egypt for the desert for 40 years and Elijah took a huge risk on mount Carmel by clearly opposing the prophets of Baal.
Here, Solomon asks and in chapter 7 we see the result.
2 Chronicles 7: 1 -3
“When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "He is good; his love endures forever."
This is what they had been waiting for and the people continue with sacrifices and worship with Solomon.
Today, this might seem a distant image, but we are now that temple. All that preparation, all those thousands of years of history are in us. We also want that fire to ignite us. Two things are needed:
Offerings
In chapter 7 we read of the fire consuming the offering and the sacrifices. These offerings and sacrifices can be represented by our prayer, praise and worship, an attitude that goes beyond the everyday.
In Hebrews 13: 15 we read “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
This talks about offering praise continually, not out of obligation, but because we want to be ignited with His Spirit. Do we offer our praise like this? We can all do so much more, out of desire for His presence.
Sacrifice
In Romans 12: 1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Solomon sacrificed more than 120,000 sheep at this dedication. How much do we sacrifice? How much do we offer ourselves as living sacrifices?
We are a temple filled with God’s presence and yet often we look at the altar and there is nothing on it. No offerings or sacrifices to be burnt up. Jesus is coming back for a bride that is passionate for Him. We need to seek Him on a daily basis as His Spirit gives us the fire to carry on. To give both our logic and emotions are important to the Lord as we reflect on this message of what it means to be passionate.
Speaker: Conor Guptill